


triple the fun

by allfleshisgrass



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Not Hockey Player(s), Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Magical Realism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-30
Updated: 2017-08-30
Packaged: 2018-12-21 15:25:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11947122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allfleshisgrass/pseuds/allfleshisgrass
Summary: Tyler finds a three-headed dog, adopts it and tries to be the best doggy daddy in Dallas.





	triple the fun

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, long time hockey rpf reader, first time hockey rpf poster. This literally would not be possible without [delightfulalot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/delightfulalot/pseuds/delightfulalot) who has listened to me talk about fic and hockey and whatever else for so long but also helped beta read this fic. You're the best!!! 
> 
> Also thank you to fiddleyoumust and paynelinshaw on the twitter dot com who have read and listened to me talk about this. And to A, who doesn't read fic but helped me out with my questions about magic.

There's probably some sort of rule about not investigating strange noises and smells while running at night but Tyler's never been one to play by the rules. He's in the park by his place when he smells smoke. He's clicks his music down just in time to hear the most pathetic whimper. It definitely sounds like a dog and there absolutely will not be any hurt puppies on Tyler Seguin's watch. 

He must stand there for a full two minutes before he hears it again - just a brutal, pathetic whimper, followed by a yip. Tyler's heart maybe breaks a little as he follows the sound. The little guy must hear him because the whimpers turn to growls that make the hairs on Tyler's neck stand on end. He maybe considers turning away before he sees it. 

There's a smoldering bush and something caught up in it's branches. It's definitely not not a dog - Tyler thinks moving a little closer. The bush shakes and there's another growl as Tyler finally sees what's been caught there. Three little heads with bright red eyes are looking up at him while one quivering body is caught in between the branches. 

"Holy shit," Tyler says, more to himself than the three-headed dog. It just looks so pathetic with its chubby body stuck in a bush. Tyler feels himself frown before he steps a little closer. He's met with an unholy growl before he says, "Shhh, hey guys, I'm not here to hurt you," in his soft this-is-how-I-talk-to-puppies voice. The heads on the ends whimper while the middle head stares Tyler straight down, like he's ready to set Tyler on fire - which - judging by the bush,he might be capable of doing. Tyler steps a little closer. 

"Hey," he breathes, "It's okay, I'm here to help you." He's trying to use his calmest and softest voice as he reaches out to let them sniff him like he would with any scared pup. The middle head growls when Tyler gets close and thrashes back, pulling the body and the other two heads with it. One of their legs gets even more caught and a head whimpers. "Hey guys, it's okay, shhhh," Tyler says. 

"It's gonna be okay, hey." He makes soft cooing noises as he squats in front of them, holding out a hand. It takes a few more shushing sounds before the middle head will sniff Tyler's hand and let itself be pet gently on the head. "Hey, yeah, that's a good boy. You're a good boy aren't you?" Tyler says quietly. He can't believe how soft the little guy is. 

The other two heads, who clearly defer to the middle head, sniff his hand as he scritches the middle head under it's chin. 

"Yeah, you're just a bunch of good boys aren't you," Tyler says again, making sure he gives the other two heads just as much attention with pets and scritches, "Good boys," He repeats, "Yeah, you guys gonna let me get you out of there now?" He asks, the right head licks his hand. It tingles which is weird but it's not bad. Tyler makes a cooing noise and stands up. He babbles gently as he reaches in to pick the little guys up and out of the bush they were caught in, "There we go, yeah, here we go." 

They're actually not very heavy at all and they're so, so chubby. They're the cutest things Tyler's ever seen. He places them on the ground to see if they'll run or stay. The right head comes to sniff his shoes and pulls the others with him. Tyler feels okay with squatting back down to give them some more pets - poor dudes just went through a traumatic experience or whatever. The left head gives his fingers a lick and he gets that weird tingling sensation again. It makes him laugh. 

"You’re the cutest thing I've ever seen, yes you are. Did someone leave you guys here?" He checks for collars but doesn't see anything. There was no one in the park - oh. Tyler stops himself. He's treating them like they're lost dogs but they're not. It seems easy after that. He scoops them up in his arms, holding their chubby body close. "You guys wanna come home with me? I'll get you something to eat, okay?" Two of them blink their eyes at him, while one sniffles at his neck. It's so cute Tyler might die. 

On the walk back to his house they settle down enough to fall asleep, only waking up when he jostles them to open the door. They must be worn out from it all because they don't even get excited when he brings them into the kitchen. They're easier to see here, they look like Rottweiler pups. God they're so cute, Tyler hates having to set them down to look for something to give them but they just sleepily sniff at his cabinets and whine up at him. 

"What?" He asks and their little butt wags and wriggles their whole body, "I'm getting you guys something, I just don't think I have anything for puppies." Really, it's not like he has dog food laying around. He googles it really quick - some site says to give puppies jack mackerel but Tyler doesn’t even know what the fuck that is. Another post says he can give them scrambled eggs. He's already scrambling eggs when he remembers he should have googled what to feed a three-headed dog. Maybe he'll do that later. 

For now, they seem to be okay with eating up the scrambled eggs he makes for them. He takes a photo and sends it to Brownie. 

_Look at what came home with me_. He captions it and then opens Snapchat. He doesn't get to add his cute photo to his story though because Brownie calls him. 

"Hey, what's up." 

"Bro, where the fuck did you find that?" Brownie asks. 

"I found them in the park. They were stuck in a bush." He says, watching as the puppies keep sniffing at his cabinets. He hopes they don't start pissing on his stuff though. He follows them through the house as he recounts the awesome story to Brownie who is, woefully, on the other side of the country, "Dude, they're seriously the cutest thing ever, right?" 

"It's a demon dog, you fucking idiot." Brownie says, "I just googled it, do you know you're supposed to feed them raw flesh?" 

"Hey, they can't help how they were born. They seemed to like scrambled eggs pretty well." Tyler is about to say he's not going to keep them but he's 100% going to keep them. They're so cute. They just curled up on his couch and snuggled in, "Brownie, you gotta see this," He switches the call to Facetime and shows him how the heads have curled up on each other and are snoozing peacefully. 

"Oh my god, dude. Look at their faces." Brownie says, his position on keeping demon dogs, clearly reversed by virtue of their adorableness and Tyler’s enthusiasm. 

"I know. I couldn't leave 'em there," he says. They chat for a little bit longer and then Tyler hangs up. He doesn't even go to bed that night, he just curls up next to the demon dog and falls asleep. 

 

\- 

Tyler wakes with his face tingling. There are three excited puppy faces licking him and Tyler thinks he might be in heaven. Puppy kisses are the best and he can't believe he's been waiting to get a dog because he wants to wake up like this every day. 

"Oh hi good morning," He says to them, "Hi, you wanna go outside? Oh you wanna go outside?" He asks them and they jump down off his couch and bumble toward the door. They're so smart - Tyler pulls himself up off the couch and goes out with them. He needs so much puppy shit - they're going to have to go shopping. They run around in Tyler's front yard, seemingly marking territory and doing business. Tyler's about to piss himself before they're done - but they bound up to him, with their tongues lolling out and he's pretty sure he knows what he's going to call them. 

Tyler decides after a breakfast of scrambled eggs for all four of them that he's going to call the middle head Marshall, the right head Cash and the left head Gerry. He repeats their names to them and gives them all kisses on their silky black heads. He's getting used to the tingle from their puppy kisses. 

"Yes, hello, I love you already, you gonna come in the bathroom with me while I shower?" He picks them up and takes them with him into the bathroom. He makes a little bed of towels and they curl up. Tyler strips down and gets in the shower, already making his list for the pet store. 

\- 

It mostly goes okay. Tyler gets a lot of looks from the employees at PetSmart and a definite gasp and pearl clutch from an old lady. "Um, sir, that's not a dog," the cashier says as he pulls up his cart. The pups had decided halfway through that they were done so they're cuddled in the top part of the cart. 

"Okay?" Tyler says, Gerry huffs a bit and flops his head over Marshall's. Tyler gives him a little stroke, "Hey buddy, yeah." He buys them a big bed because their paws indicate they'll be big boys, three collars, a harness and a leash. He also grabs a shit load of treats, two really big bowls for food and water and a fuck ton of toys, "Hey so, what would you recommend I feed them? Like do you think I should try kibble or I saw that you had that fresh stuff?" 

She looks at him like he's fucking stupid so Tyler grabs a little bit of both and hopes they like some of it. 

The rest of the day is spent chilling with his little homies, getting them used to their collars and harness. Tyler knows they're like literal demons but he thinks his little dudes are really good about traditional dog shit. 

They sniff at each other's collars and learn to sit pretty quick, "Yeah, you're the smartest boys in the world aren't you?" He says and feeds each of them a treat, "Yes, you're my good boys, yeah." He maybe watched a couple Youtubes while they napped a little bit that said encouragement and cuddling was a good way to get started with training. 

(There were unfortunately no helpful videos on training three-headed or demon dogs, he totally tried googling it.) 

Each of the heads has its own personality and they're just so fucking cute. Marshall is the most chill, then Gerry and Cash is the goofiest little fuck. He's always flopping over onto Marshall and nipping at his ears.

The weirdest thing is when their yips turn into unholy growls. It probably should freak Tyler out a little bit but then they just tilt their heads up and Tyler has to snap a photo.

He can tell his camera roll is going to fill up quickly. He's been sending snaps to his sisters all day.

_I can't believe you just found that_ , Candace sends. 

_icb ur keeping a demon, what wld gma say_ , Cassidy replies. 

_They're my babies_ , Tyler sends along with a photo of the four of them. Tyler's kissing Marshall's head while Cash and Gerry try to bite his face. Then he sets it as his profile pic. 

 

\- 

Okay so maybe Tyler didn't think this puppy thing over so well. When he goes back to work on Monday, he shuts them in the bathroom with toys, food, water, and most importantly, pee pads. He's hoping they'll get through the day okay. By noon, he's wondering if he should buy a nanny cam to keep an eye on them during the day. He misses them but also he's a little worried about what they might do to his bathroom. 

"Do you think they can be crate trained?" He asks Emily, who's in the next cube over. She's been listening to his puppy freak-out all morning. 

"They're demons, Tyler." She responds, which seems to be the normal response for everyone. He knows they're demons but they're cute demons who love him and needed his help. They're not like...evil, or whatever. 

"Okay," He says, "But do you think they can be crate trained?" He asks again. Emily rolls her eyes at him. 

"You can try but eventually they're going to get bigger and they're going to eat your face off." She stuffs an earbud back in and that means the conversation is over. Tyler looks at crates online for the rest of the day while half-heartedly doing work. He's got a crate and a big puppy playpen on the way to his house before 5 o'clock and he wonders if he's spending too much money. 

Tyler decides he has not spent too much money when he gets home. His blood goes a little chilly when he hears the deep whine and growl that comes from the bathroom. He opens the door and gets bowled over by the pups. They shower his face with kisses like they can't believe he's been gone for so long. He gives them kisses back and looks inside the bathroom. 

Hoo boy, it's a mess. 

The pee pads have been shredded along with all the toys Tyler left. Half of the sink cabinet had been chewed and some of his towels got dragged out and ripped to shreds. 

"You guys were busy today, huh, okay. Let's go outside before we get this cleaned up, okay. Yeah, you gotta pee?" He asks them, they cock their heads up at him and he can't help but grin. They let him strap them into their harness and leash before he grabs their shit bags and they head out the door. 

The funniest thing about walking a three headed dog is that they all sniff in unison for a place to do their business. It's like the one thing in their life they can agree on - toddling on their fat little legs as they find a place to pee. Tyler just manages to snapchat them walking along before they find a spot. 

Since Tyler is a responsible pet owner, he cleans up after them and they make their way back to the house. The pups are barely out of their harness before they're falling over asleep. Tyler picks them up and puts them in their doggy bed while he cleans up the bathroom. It's actually not _that_ bad but he's still glad he's got a crate coming. The pen at least will be good he decides before he goes to make dinner. 

 

\- 

Saturday, he gets to take the pups on their first brunch outing. They've been pretty well behaved since that first day away from him. They keep their destruction down to toys and their pee pads inside their pen which is baller. He's trying to get them to sleep in their crate but he really likes having sleeping buddies and just puts the crate up on Craigslist. The pups do really well in the car as he drives to the stellar brunch place. He's meeting up with Patrick and Abby since they're down to finish up moving back to Chicago. He's really going to miss them. 

"Now, you guys are going to be on your best behavior, right?" He asks, picking them up from the seat of the car and setting them down on the ground. They look up at him and shake their little heads, he hopes that means they're gonna be good. They trot happily along beside him, sniffing and sniffing before peeing on a sign. He can already see Abby on the patio, "Here we go boys," Tyler says and scoops them up. They're already a little bigger than when he found them but they still fit in the crook of his arm. Cash licks his face - it still tingles. He makes his way to Abby who grins at him. 

"Hey Abb," He says to her, and turns the pups around so they can see her, "Boys, this is Abby, you be nice to her," He says and they all lean up to lick at his chin and face, that's their new thing and he loves it. He gives them smooches and then lets them onto the ground, their leash wrapped firmly around his hand. 

"Hey Tyler, look at how handsome they are." She croons, Tyler is so happy that she's not freaked out by them. Abby holds out a hand for them to sniff. Like usual, Marshall leads the way and sniffs at her before deciding she's okay and letting her pet them, "Oh yes, you're beautiful boys, you are. Hello." She gives them head pats and scritches and Tyler's pretty sure they're in love if the blissed out look on their faces is anything to go by. 

"You're the first person besides me that they've let do that. We did not have a good experience at the pet store." Tyler says, sitting down. Abby gives them one last pat before turning back to Tyler, 

"No, I suppose you wouldn't. People still treat them like they're evil," She frowns, he's so glad someone gets it. 

"Right, everyone's like 'Tyler, it's a demon!' like I don't know that," The pups seem to realize they're not getting any more pets right then but they tuck up to Tyler's feet and chill, "Where's Patrick?" 

"Hopefully getting me a beer," She says, "I'm going to miss this place." She says looking around. It's pretty packed for a Saturday, there are all kinds of people out with their babies and dogs. 

"I'll miss you guys, it sucks that you have to go," Tyler says. Patrick and Abby were some of Tyler's first friends when he moved to Dallas. Of course, Sharpy was his boss but it was fine. Sharpy was a cool boss and he had an even cooler wife. 

"It does but we have family there and it's just - home, you know?" He does know. He thought he was going to feel that way about Boston but Dallas is pretty great. Sharpy comes out with three beers in hand. Tyler feels the leash go taut as the boys stand up, ready to investigate.

"Hey and heyyy, are these your boys, hiiiii," Patrick says, setting the beers down and immediately squatting down to give the pups a pet. They're not afraid of him at all. They sniff and let him pet them. They lick at his hand, "Oh wow, that's weird." 

"Right, I can't figure out why it tingles when they lick." Tyler says and Sharpy looks up at him and grins. 

"It's probably something to do with their saliva - did you google?" Patrick asks, standing up and wiping his hand on his shorts. 

"I've googled everything but I can't find any good answers, I wonder if there's a book or something." Tyler tightens the leash when the boys spot the waitress headed their way. She, thankfully, treats them like any other customers and doesn't mention the dogs at all except to know if they'd like a bowl of water for them. All in all, it's good food, good friends and his pups who curl up under him and nap trying to stay out of the early afternoon sun. Once the checks are taken care of, Abby sends him a text. 

"There's a magic store just around the corner from here, maybe they'll have a book on magical creatures or maybe they can point you in the right place." She says, Tyler almost cries, he's gonna miss them so much. 

"We'll have to check it out, then." After another round of hugs and a promise to come visit if he's ever in Chicago, the Sharps leave and Tyler takes his boys for a walk. 

\- 

The Happy Skeleton really is just around the corner. It's got a big skeleton with a big red beard painted on the glass. Inside there’s a bunch of kitschy items one would expect to find at magic store and like, the O on the open sign is a skull. Tyler can't believe he's about to walk into this place. He picks the pups up, and holds them close as he pushes the door open. His nose is hit by a wave of incense. One of the pups sneezes and their whole body wriggles. 

"Hey, can I help you?" A soft voice asks, Tyler jumps a little, and looks to the counter. There's a guy there, propped on a stool. He has the biggest, saddest brown eyes that Tyler has ever seen. Tyler walks closer, his wriggly pups still clutched to his chest. 

"Hey, I was uh, looking for a book," Tyler says, the man laughs softly, a little snort through his nose, "Yeah, I can't seem to find anything out about training or caring for my dogs, they're special and I wanna make sure I'm doing right by them." 

"That's not a dog," The guy says, looking at Tyler's pups. They must feel Tyler tense because they turn and direct their eyes towards the guy. Oh. He tries to relax. Cash swings his head up and looks at Tyler. 

"Yeah, I know what they are but I'm taking care of them. So do you have anything to help me or not?" Tyler knows he’s being a little snappy but he's been dealing with this all week. The guy stares at him a little bit then shakes his head. 

"I'm sorry, I was rude," Magic Store Guy says, blinking his big eyes, "I think we have a book, let me go check," He stands up and oh buddy, he's a little taller than Tyler and thicker too. Tyler bites his lip a little as the guy shuffles away. Tyler sets the dogs down, keeping a firm hold on their leash so they don't go sniffing into things.

The place is totally weird but less dusty than he imagined. There are tons of hanging plants by the counter. There are racks next to the counter with postcards and weird witchy stuff. Tyler doesn’t know what kind of business this place does. There’s a sign for palmistry on Tuesdays and an open mic night on Wednesday. They probably have seances on weekends. The crystals on the shelf next to the counter catch Tyler’s eye just as the guy comes back with a book in hand. 

"This is the last one but it should have everything you need to know about cerberuses." He says. 

"Cerbe-what now?" Tyler asks, looking back. 

"Cerberuses, it's the proper name for three-headed dogs," The guy replies setting the book on the counter, "Oh wow, you got ‘em on a leash, huh. They really must like you." He sounds amazed, which Tyler gets because he was not sure how harness training would go but. They seem to be fine. 

"Well yeah, I saved them from a burned out bush. They're my little dudes," Tyler says, the pups are a little tense but Magic Store Guy kneels down and holds out a hand and makes the soft clicking noises with his mouth. 

“Hey, you’re handsome boys aren’t you,” The guy coos and Tyler melts a little, he loves when big dudes talk to dogs like they’re babies. It doesn’t take too much longer before they’re sniffing Magic Store Guy’s fingers and jumping up to lick at his face. Tyler can’t help but smile when the guy laughs. He grins up at Tyler. It’s...he’s got a good smile is all, 

“I’ve never seen a trio this tame,” the guys says, “I’m Jamie, by the way,” he introduces himself. 

“Tyler,” Tyler replies, “And they are Marshall in the middle, Cash on the right and Gerry on the left,” Jamie gives each head attention and they reach up and catch his hand in their paws. He grins up at Tyler, 

“They’re amazing,” Jamie says giving their belly a pat. When he stands up he asks, “Just the book, or uh, did you want to look around?” moving behind the counter. His eyes are so big and wide and Tyler feels himself staring a little too long before he says, 

“The book, I think. Unless you have dog toys for demons.” Tyler says mostly offhand, he means for it to be funny but Jamie just stares at him, “Do you have dog toys for demons?” He feels a little silly but then Jamie cracks a smile. He was fucking with Tyler. Tyler rolls his eyes, it’s a casual and easy flirt. That’s something Tyler can be on board with. 

“No, I know a guy though. I can check?” 

“That would be great actually, I only want the best for my babies,” Tyler says with a grin. Jamie smiles back. Everything's coming up Seguin. 

-

And look, Tyler is not the biggest reader, he’s not, but this book is fascinating. There’s a big section on the history and mythology of of cerberuses before a section on modern care and feeding. Some of which fucking weirds Tyler out, 

“Brownie, this book says I’m supposed to find human flesh for them for treats,” he says on the phone one night. The pups are sacked out on his lap, their heads over Tyler’s left arm. 

“I fucking told you that,” Brownie says, sharply. Tyler closes his eyes and leans his head back against the couch. 

“Right, I can’t imagine feeding them that,” He really can’t. 

“Maybe you can ask your spooky boyfriend to help you out.” 

“Stop,” Tyler says. He told Brownie about the hot magic store guy and now Brownie won’t stop bringing him up. Though, to be fair, Tyler does keep wondering if he can seal that deal. He knows when he’s being flirted with and that guy was definitely flirting with him. 

“Did he call you back about your demon dog toys yet?” 

“No. He said they might not have any left, besides they’re not destroying _every_ toy I bring home now,” Tyler might be a little defensive of his boys because they really have learned. They also haven’t chewed up any of his cabinets anymore and they’re really good about staying in their playpen during his work day. 

“Only you, Segs.” 

But like, not all of Tyler’s friends have been so cool about his pups the way Abby and Sharpy were cool. Brownie’s not in Dallas so he doesn’t have to be around them or whatever but some of Tyler’s other friends have been a little scarce. 

He hasn’t been going out as much as used to because he feels bad leaving work, coming home to let the dogs out and then leaving again. They’re just so good when he’s at work - Tyler doesn’t want to risk it. Also they give the best puppy snuggles and Tyler loves that. 

He’s been trying to invite people over for beers and to hang out but it’s hit or miss. His buddy, Jesse, came over the other day and straight up told him that the pups freaked him out. 

“Dude,” Tyler had said, “They’re just puppies, they mostly sleep.” 

“It’s a three headed dog, Tyler.” Jesse said like it was supposed to mean anything other than triple the fun. 

Supernatural shit has never bothered Tyler. Maybe it was because his neighbors growing up were werewolves. They seemed like normal people who had barbecues all the time and went to their cottage in the summer like everyone else. To Tyler, some people had magic, some people didn’t. He doesn’t think about it because it’s just a thing that _is_ to him. It’s not a big deal. The pups are the same way, they’re just three cute little guys who love to lick his face as his alarm goes off. 

He still doesn’t know why it tingles - the book didn’t say. Tyler definitely has a list of things to ask the guy from the magic store if he ever freaking calls back. Tyler’s not ready to admit his flirty eyes didn’t work, his success rate is too damn good. He just has to be patient and as the father of three very cute and special boys, Tyler is now excelling in patience. 

-

Tyler has had a fucking week. An old supervisor had come back for the week but Tyler had never met the guy. He had, however, heard stories about how great he was - and - yeah. Mike was the fucking worst. Tyler has spent every night this week eating take out and cuddling his puppies until he fell asleep on the couch. It’s been pretty shitty. 

So when Saturday rolls around, Tyler decides that a treat is in order for all of them. Fuck Mike, fuck work, and fuck this week. 

He only has to shake the leash before his boys come running. They let him strap them into their harness and clip them on the leash. Outside, they nearly trip over themselves with excitement as Tyler opens the car door to let them inside. He can’t help but laugh as they twirl around in the seat and pop up to look outside the window, red eyes bright with excitement. 

“You ready, huh? You ready to go to the park?” Tyler says as he settles in the driver’s seat. They look over at him and Gerry boofs, Cash woofs in reply and then the three of them start yapping. It’s so fucking cute, Tyler feels lighter than he has all week. Puppies are great stress relievers. He goes by the healthy shake place, gets a green smoothie and then heads to the dog park. 

They’ve been cooped up all week with Tyler being grumpy as fuck - they deserve to get a little energy out. Tyler can see tons of people milling about as he gets the four of them through the gates into the park. They take two steps into the park and are pulling at their leash. He can tell they’re ready to go, “Okay guys,” Tyler says to them, squatting down to unclip them, “You’d better be on your best behavior.” He gives each of the heads a good rub before standing up. They take a moment before they realize they can go and then they bound off. Tyler watches as they head for a tree. They sniff around it and pee a little before running around the tree three times. Gerry picks up a big stick and they run back to Tyler. 

“What’s up buddy, you wanna play?” He grabs the other end of the stick and Gerry pulls back. They’re very strong but Tyler manages to wrestle it away from them and then gives it a good toss. They nearly trip over their body on their way to go get it back. They play this game all the time at home so Tyler settles on a nearby bench - ready to play. 

It takes three more throws before another dog chases after the stick too. It’s a medium sized dog, tawny with a face like a pitbull. It sniffs at Tyler’s boys and they sniff right back, then it reaches down and grabs the stick and runs away. Tyler’s pups look confused for a whole second before they go racing after the other dog. Tyler keeps watch but Marshall drags them ahead so quickly they trip before they catch the other dog. Their fat body twists on the ground for a moment before they bounce back up and follow after. Happy as can be. This was such a good idea. 

The dogs keep bouncing around each other, the stick forgotten in lieu of sniffing and play fighting. It’s so cute. Tyler has to get up and take a few photos. He’s almost got the perfect snap of all the dogs when someone calls the tawny dog,

“Juice, buddy, let’s go!” The dogs come running his way and Tyler looks back to see Magic Shop Guy coming toward him, looking like a comfortable frat boy wet dream in sweats, a white t-shirt and backwards cap. Tyler grins immediately.

“Hey, Jamie, right?” He holds out his hand for Jamie to shake, “Good to see you,” Jamie smiles, holding on just a little too long. 

“You too,” Jamie says, finally letting go of Tyler’s hand to squat down and pet his dog. Tyler grins again. It’s a good sign. He makes sure he crosses his arms to make his biceps look a little bigger - just a little trick. Jamie clips a leash to his dog’s collar, and looks up, “How was your book?” He definitely looks at Tyler’s arms. 

“Good, it was good. Very informative,” Tyler replies. 

“That’s good, they look good. No problems?” He reaches over to give Tyler’s pups some scritches.

“No, they’re great. Got a couple questions, if you’ve got time?” Tyler asks, dipping down to clip the leash to the pups’ harness. Jamie smiles at him, while getting licks from his own dog. 

“Sure, we’ve got time, haven’t we, buddy?” He grins at Juice while rubbing his head, the dog’s tongue lolls in response. He’s a happy guy. Tyler fucking loves dogs. 

 

Tyler suggests that they grab a coffee from the little cart outside the fenced in part of the park with plenty of benches around. The dogs are content to sit in the grass and pant in the warm morning sun. 

“So, you had questions?” Jamie says when they’ve settled. Tyler nods. 

“Yeah, especially with their diet? I’m afraid they’re not getting what they need,” Tyler says, they eat pretty well and they definitely like the fresh stuff but he thinks he might be able to do more. Jamie chuckles a little and leans down to click his tongue at the pups. They perk up and trot over to him. 

“You mind?” He asks and Tyler shakes his head. Jamie picks them up and looks at their little faces. Marshall looks over at him and snuffles as Jamie rubs their belly and smooths their fur down over their back and butt, “Aw yeah, they feel pretty solid and they’re warm.” 

“They’re supposed to run hot, right?” Tyler recalls reading that in the book, that cerberuses run hot, some even carry a fire in their belly and breathe fire. Tyler wonders if that’s how they ended up in the burned out bush in the first place. Jamie nods and settles them back on the ground with a little pat to their back. 

“Yeah, they’ll, uh, grow into that,” Jamie says, then he takes a sip of his coffee. Tyler looks down at his pups who plop back down into the grass. Their black fur is more fluff than shiny, 

“You’re really gonna keep them?” Jamie says and goddammit, Tyler thought this was going well. He shifts a little on the bench, a little further away, “No sorry, I mean. They’re really rare, I’ve only ever seen one or two grown trios.” 

“Oh,” Tyler says. The pups flop over on their back and the three heads wallow happily in the sunshine, “I guess that explains why people are really weird about them,” Tyler shrugs and takes a swig of his own coffee. It takes him a minute but then he just opens up.

He asks Jamie about why people are so fucking weird about cerberuses when it’s clear they’re just puppies but does he need to worry about them burning down his house? He has so many questions it takes him a minute to register Jamie’s big wide eyes and finally he’s like, “I’m really worried that I’m stunting their development by not feeding them human flesh and please tell me I don’t need to because I have no idea where to get that,” 

“Uh okay. Wow, that’s a lot.” Jamie says and Tyler takes a deep breath and another drink of his coffee while Jamie says, “People are always afraid of what they don’t understand, especially since, like I said before, these guys are really rare. They’re special,” And yeah, Tyler understands that, he just doesn’t get it. He doesn’t see anything to be afraid of. 

“As far as the flesh goes, I could help with that.” Jamie says with a shrug and Tyler is surprised, “I just mean, I know a guy,” Jamie says, a little shy. His cheeks have a cute flush on them. 

“Like you knew a guy about the demon toys?” Tyler teases and Jamie rolls his eyes. 

“He hasn’t gotten back to me yet, he says he’s retired but he’s never gonna stop,” Jamie says, shaking his head, “I swear I’ll get back to you as soon as I hear something,” 

“It’s okay, I was joking,” Tyler says and then after a second, “So you got a flesh dealer?” Jamie laughs, a silly stupid laugh that Tyler really likes. 

“It’s part of what I do,” Jamie says with a shrug. Right, Tyler thinks, the magic store. 

“How’d you end up in a magic shop anyway?” Tyler asks and Jamie smiles. 

“My family, we’ve all got a little magic. My brother, Jordie, used to run the shop with me but he got an apprenticeship in Montreal,” Jamie pauses for a minute, looking a little sad. Tyler can almost feel the sadness rolling off of him, “It’s a really great opportunity for him,” 

“But you’re not happy about it,” Tyler says, taking a guess. 

“I’m happy,” Jamie says quickly, “I just miss him. We’re a close family.” Now he really looks sad and Tyler can’t stand it. 

“You don’t have to explain yourself, man. I get it, I miss my little sisters all the time,” Tyler offers quietly, then says, “Do you wanna get dinner with me tonight?” 

“What?” 

“If you’re free, do you want to get dinner?” Tyler asks again, trying to keep light, like his self-esteem isn’t going to be crushed by Jamie turning him down. Jamie looks at him closely and then down at Juice and then he nods. 

“Yeah, that sounds really nice.” 

-

Tyler gives his pups some extra treats and a bunch of kisses before he leaves the house that night. He looks very seriously at Marshall and says, “I’ll be back tonight, I love you guys a lot. Be good.” Marshall wuffles in response and licks his cheek. The tingle follows him all the way to the restaurant. 

Jamie is waiting outside. 

He’s intent on his phone when Tyler approaches, which is fine because Tyler gets to have a look at him. Jamie looks less like a frat boy now, having ditched the sweats and t-shirt for a pair of tight jeans and a black button up. He even left the snapback at home and slicked back his hair, showing off an undercut. 

“Hey,” Tyler says as he gets close. Jamie looks up and smiles. Damn, he’s beautiful. Tyler can’t help but smile back. They maybe stand there for a little too long before Jamie glances at the restaurant. It’s a little busy but there doesn’t seem to be any sort of line. 

“Should we go in?” Jamie asks and Tyler nods, 

“Yeah dude, I’m starving.” Tyler says and they do a weird dance of who gets to usher who through the door first. Tyler rolls his eyes and lets Jamie guide him through. 

Dinner is easy, in a booth tucked into the corner. They have a few beers and burgers and they talk. They talk about being Canadian transplants in Dallas - about loving hockey and the teams they grew up rooting for. Tyler talks a little bit about his job and brings it back around to Jamie’s shop. 

“Why Dallas if you grew up on the Island?” He sops a stray fry in ketchup and shoves it in his mouth as he waits for Jamie to answer. 

“It was just the right place to be. There aren’t a lot of places for people with magic to get supplies around here. For a while, the closest shop was in Austin. So Jordie and I came and opened up the store.” 

“The Happy Skeleton,” Tyler says, remembering the shop’s name. Jamie smiles. 

“My brother named it that. I wanted something a little less kitschy,” Jamie says wrinkling his nose, “He wrestled me for it and won.” 

“You have got to be shitting me,” Tyler says, laughing. Jamie just shakes his head, a little sad again. Tyler gets it, “Does he like it in Montreal?” 

“He really loves it, we’re both hereditary witches but his focus is in demonology and they’ve always had problems with devils up there.” Jamie says.

“In more ways than one,” Tyler laughs, Jamie smiles, “What about you, do you have a focus?” Tyler asks because he genuinely wants to know. Besides his werewolf neighbors, he’s never been around magic all that much. 

“Not really,” Jamie says, then, “I’m an eclectic, so I take parts and pieces from each focus to make them my own.” He then goes on to explain how being educated in different areas helps run his shop by knowing what to stock. There’s a whole side of the world that Tyler doesn’t even know about. He just doesn’t ever think about that kind of shit. It’s kind of crazy to think about. 

“Sorry,” Jamie says, “I don’t want to freak you out with this,” 

“Oh dude, don’t worry. I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to know,” Tyler says. It’s just. It’s been really comfortable. It’s the best date he’s been on in forever. It’s the first time he’s felt himself naturally connect to someone in a long time. _Maybe it’s magic_ , he thinks to himself and then laughs. 

“What?” 

“Nothing.” 

Tyler doesn’t let Jamie pay for his dinner, “Dude, I didn’t ask you out so you could pay for my dinner, I asked you out so I could pay for _your_ dinner,” Tyler says, stuffing his card into the billfold. Jamie still doesn’t look convinced when the server takes the check away, “Look, if it makes you feel better, you can pay next time?” 

“Next time?” Jamie says, his big eyes are so bright. Tyler waggles his eyebrows and grins, “Oh my god, okay fine.” Jamie laughs. 

When they make it back outside, they linger, chatting about the weather and how nice it had been recently. Tyler doesn’t want to leave but he knows he’s gotta get home to his pups.

“We should do this again soon,” Tyler says, he’s trying to maintain eye contact but Jamie’s big eyes flick down to Tyler’s mouth and Tyler knows Jamie’s thinking the same thing that he is. 

“Yeah, uh, definitely, we should,” Jamie says and holds his hand up for a standard bro-hug. Tyler gives it to him, slipping his hand easily into Jamie’s and wrapping his arm around him briefly. He gets a whiff of Jamie’s cologne, it’s something familiar but a little spicier. Whatever it is, it’s good enough that Tyler forgets to let go of Jamie’s hand. 

“Text me when you get in, hey?” Tyler asks quietly. Jamie nods and then kisses him. Tyler full on feels himself sigh into it as Jamie’s free hand cups his cheek. Their lips brush against each other in soft, lazy kisses that have Tyler’s mouth tingling. Good thing he’s gotten used to that feeling lately. Someone wolf whistles on the street and it makes Tyler laugh into Jamie’s mouth. 

He gets one or two more soft kisses before Jamie’s pulling back and they’re just breathing together. Tyler’s mouth is buzzing, his whole body feels like it’s buzzing. 

“You’re something else, you know that?” Jamie says, bumping his nose against Tyler’s. Tyler smiles and presses another kiss to Jamie’s mouth. 

“Why does it feel like that?” He’s gotta know why kissing Jamie feels a lot like getting kisses from his three-headed dog, “Jamie?” 

“Oh, you’re sensitive,” Jamie says and then he smiles and when he says, “Magic really likes you,” Tyler has to make a face. It’s a weird line but it kind of works for him, “No, listen, magic, uh, likes to be known, even by people who don’t have it. Some people are a lot more sensitive to it than others. What’s it feel like?” 

“It tingles,” Tyler says a little dumbly, he’s not sure how to process all of this, especially when he would rather just skip back to the kissing. 

“It’s saying hello,” Jamie grins. 

“Hi,” Tyler says, both to Jamie and magic as he leans in to kiss him again. 

 

Epilogue: 

Tyler wakes up with a start when the bed dips. One of the dogs gives a mournful groan as they’re displaced and they let out an unholy growl. It would be terrifying if Tyler wasn’t so goddamned tired and if he wasn’t fully aware of their bullshit. They’re as lazy as he is. 

“Hey, we talked about this,” Jamie’s voice says quietly. Tyler grins. There’s nothing he loves more than Jamie’s big arms curling around him in the wee hours of the morning and Jamie gently scolding Tyler’s three-headed dog. 

“Was his flight okay?” Tyler asks, even though there’s a tingle starting from behind his ear to his jaw. Jordie was flying in that morning from Montreal. Jamie doesn’t answer at first, he just spreads a hand over Tyler’s naked stomach and drops a kiss to Tyler’s shoulder. 

“He said it was fine,” Jamie says finally, his hand dipping lower. They weren’t going to talk about his brother anymore. Tyler opened his eyes to blearily glance at the clock, they had about an hour before Tyler had to get up for work.

“Get me a mint so I can kiss the fuck out of you,” Tyler says and Jamie doesn’t waste any time. 

Tyler definitely waits until his last possible alarm to get up and drag himself into the shower. He feels loose and happy and a little tingly from Jamie’s lazy handjob. It’s honestly a baller way to start the morning. HIs work clothes are laid out and pressed and it makes his stupid heart flip over just a little. Sometimes Jamie’s hearth magic takes focus and he puts a lot of feeling into doing dumb chores for Tyler. 

At first it was weird because he could feel the buzz of Jamie’s magic against his skin all day but now, after almost a year, he’s so used to it. He feels comfortable and loved. It still makes him panic a little bit but Tyler’s ass over dick in love with this dude. He just hasn’t said it out loud yet. Tyler finishes doing up his tie and picks up his jacket. 

Marshall, Cash and Gerry look at him from the bed.

“What?” He says to them, they’re so big now even though they’re still puppies. They take up most of the lower half of the bed and they’re staring at him with red eyes, their paws folded primly in front of them. There was no sign of Juice, he was probably with Jordie. Tyler rolls his eyes and walks over to the bed, “Do you guys think I don’t love you?” He asks and smacks kisses to each one of their faces getting them super excited, “I do love you, I do. You’re my babies and I love you so much,” Tyler makes sure he rubs their chest, right where they like it, where he can feel the fire growing inside them. He’s so glad they found him. Tyler pockets his phone and clicks his tongue for the dogs. 

“Come on, dumb-dumbs, let’s get breakfast and meet your uncle Jordie.” 

Jordie Benn is a big dude, with a big red beard and he’s currently sitting at Jamie’s breakfast bar, half asleep despite the stack of pancakes in front of him. Jamie’s at the stove, wielding a spatula. Tyler ducks in and gives him a kiss. 

“Please don’t tell me good morning like that,” Jordie says, cutting lazily into a pancake before accepting Tyler’s hand shake.

“Hey man, glad your flight was safe,” Tyler says. Jordie nods at him and goes back to his pancakes. 

“Your plate’s almost done,” Jamie says. Tyler nods and heads out into the mudroom with four dogs trailing him. He lets them into the small yard before filling their bowls with breakfast. Juice gets regular kibble but Tyler’s trio is trying a new raw diet. He absolutely doesn’t want to know what’s in there but he swears to God he saw a finger and he won’t ask. 

Tyler’s own breakfast is filled with love and soaked in syrup. Jamie is bad about keeping his feelings and magic out of the food he prepares sometimes but this makes Tyler feel full and warm. He knows that feeling is going to be with him all day. He loves it and he loves Jamie. He knows that he doesn’t have any magic of his own - but he knows that this feeling, he knows that those words are their own magic. 

During the day, Tyler gets a constant stream of Snaps and texts about Jordie bonding with Tyler’s pups. The trio apparently takes to Jordie the same way they took to Jamie. Tyler can’t stop grinning at the snap of Jordie completely buried in dogs. He saves it to his camera roll. 

“What are you smiling about?” Emily asks from her cube. Tyler grins. Emily has put up with so much of Tyler’s shit this last year - she will definitely want to see this photo and the cute photo of Juice lying across both Cash and Marshall’s necks, trying to be a part of them. Not even a visit from his boss Mike could ruin his day - Jamie’s pancakes were still working their magic, warding off bad vibes. 

He went back to Jamie’s after work even though the shop didn’t close until 8 and Jamie might not be in until much later. Tyler’s comfy clothes carry that same low buzz of contentment, happiness and love. It’s easy to sink into the sofa and fall asleep. 

When he wakes up, it’s to Jamie’s fingers trailing lightly over Tyler’s beard. He smiles down as Tyler blinks himself awake, “Hey,” Tyler whispers. 

“Hey,” Jamie says and leans down to kiss Tyler’s temple, his cheek, his mouth, “Good sleep?” He asks, Tyler nods. His heart is pounding. Jamie taught him a year ago that magic reaches out because it likes to be known. He’s had months of Jamie sharing his magic with Tyler, with Jamie’s magic reaching out and telling Tyler exactly how Jamie feels. Tyler grins because it’s his turn now, he reaches up to pull Jamie back into a kiss. 

“I love you,” He says, “I love you, I love you,” He repeats, sharing his small magic with Jamie, each new kiss at a time.


End file.
